Tuesday, September 11, 2018

What is emergence?


Photo source: Wikimedia Commons, Christoffer A Rasmussen (Rasmussen29892)

What is emergence? Here is my definition:
Emergence is the process of a phenomena coming into existence
Imagine the earth billions of years ago with nothing on it except scattered random elements. These elements would react with each other and create even more reactions. As time would pass, new phenomena and patterns would emerge. From these reactions, later DNA would emerge and after that many types of intelligent animals.

Eventually human beings would come into existence and invent many new technologies. In this regard, the history of reality has been an ongoing emergence of new phenomena. I believe this process of emergence will go into the future infinitely. I don't know what exactly will happen to the universe, but I believe emergent phenomena will continue to occur in some way.

License: CC BY-SA 4.0